PTK

The main goals of performing PTK are to remove or decrease the opacities affecting the visual acuity, to smooth the corneal surface, to improve the adherence of the corneal epithelium, or a combination thereof to help with painful symptoms.

This procedure is potentially applicable to a large number of patients but including:

• Corneal scars and opacity (from trauma and inactive infections)
• Dystrophies (Reis-Buckler’s, granular and lattice)
• Salzmann’s nodular degeneration
• Band keratopathy
• Painful bullous keratopathy
• Patients with deep lesions are not good candidates for this technique. (lesions in the posterior two-thirds of the cornea)

The procedure is generally done under topical anesthesia and under strict aseptic.